Time-table chart



March 16' 1926.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1 N l m w x x mnjmIm uuau Phwxummu uxwrrj azmd mm INVENTOR. E. SHNDERS LU BY f ATTORNEY-'- March 16 ,1926. 1,576,935

W. C. SANDERS TIME TABLE 0mm Filed Jan. 51; 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WWW [.RIJBKETT IIIH lHlllll lll nlmlnll IIIIIIIIIIHH INVENTOR.

LIJ. D. SHNDERS A TTORNEY.

Patented Mar. i5, 192%.

warren s'rrss PATENT I WILLIAM G. snnnsns, or SANTA ANA, oanrronnia.

TIME-TABLE CHART.

1 0 (IN whom it may, concern Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. SAN- nnns, a citizen of the United States, residing at Santa Ana, in the county of Orange and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Time-Table Charts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in time table charts.

The principle of this invention is to produce a time table chart which will eliminate the use of pins as is now commonly used in plotting a time table on a chart.

Another object of this invention is to produce a device of this character which will have all of thecharacteristics of an ordinary chart so as not to be confusing to the users of such charts.

An additional object of this invention is to produce a chart of this character which is cheap to manufacture and therefore one which will be appreciated.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent during the course of the followin description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of a chart constructed in accordance with my invention,

Figure 2 is a cross section of the chlrt showing the cordrholding teeth,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary enlarged detail view showing the manner of holding the cord,

Figure 4 is an enlarged detail view of one of the train plugs.

Figure 5 is a front evelation of one of the train plugs, and

Figure 6 is a side elevation showing the plug removed from the board.

In the making up of a time table, a large chart or board is employed upon which the names of the towns in the section are indicated, as well as the hours of the day, Upon these charts strings are so placed that they indicate the train proceeding from one point to a given destination. Theoretically a straight line would indicate the passage of the train between these two points. I-Iowever, physical conditions cause the trains to move at various speeds along their course. These physical conditions may be heavy grades, or congested areas and the like,

therefore, the straight string does'not represent the true position of the train at all pointsthroughout its run. It has, there fore, been customary to employ a plurality of pins which are secured in the board to cause the string to vary its course to the right or left as conditions may require, which conditions have been found, from experience of previous runs.

In the accompanying drawings wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral 5 designates a board, one end of which has printed or otherwise indicated the names of the towns in the division through which the train is to proceed. These names are'indicated by the numeral 8.

It will be noted that the names are not spaced equally apart which'represents the miles they are apart on the railroad; Adjacent these names is a chart consisting of a plurality of divisionsabove which are the numerals 1, 2, 3, etc., which represents the time commencing at mid-night at the left of the chart.

In actual practice these divisions are di- Witheach of the station indications within Which-grooves are placed a toothed metal strip 8 (see Figs. 2- and 3), which projects beyond the surface of the board and has a tooth for each minute of-the day, which will bring sixty teeth between the lines representing each hour on the chart,

At 9 I have shown'a series of holes formed .in the top of the board which holes are adapted to accommodate train plugs (see Figure 4:). These train plugs comprises a shell 11 having an indicating holding member 12 secured thereto, within which a plate 13 maybe positioned upon which the number of the train is indicated.

Rotatable in this shell 11 is a hub 14: of a winding spool having a knurled thumb wheel 16. Assuming that we have a chart constructed in accordance with my invention, and it is desired to plot a time table, one of the train plugs is inserted. in a hole in close proximity to departing time of the train or the arrival of a train, as the case may be. We will now assume, in the first instance, that the train is leaving Palestine at 12:1, the train plug will be placed as shown in Figure 5 and an indicator bearing the numbers ofthe train, for instance, the number 5 will be placed on the plug. The cord will then be passed through the tooth of the strip 8, one tooth removed from the line representing 12 oclock. l

Should the train run to its destination at a uniform speed the cord would extend diagonally or across the chart, as shown in full lines. at 17, this condition, however, does not exist and therefore the time table made up upon this basis would be incorrect. Experience has shown that thetrain would make faster speed between Palestine and Elkhart for the train arrives at Elkhart prior to 12:80, conseqeuntly, the cord will be placed through the tooth of the bar 8 adjacent Elkhart slightly in advance of 12 :30 or for instance 12:25. Experience has also shown that the train makes slower time betweenElkhartand Grapeland and there fore, does not keep up its average speed, arriving at- Grapeland at. one oclock. The cord will then be placed between the teeth representing one oclock on the bar adjacent Grapeland. From this point to Latexo, a heavy grade is encountered and a half hour is consumed in going this distance, therefore, the cord is placed between the teeth representing 1 :30.

The manner of following'the train across the chart is merely a matter of placing the cord in the proper teeth representing the running time between the stations, as indicated by previous experience. A small weight may be attached to the lower end of the cord and after the cord has been placed, the thun'ib-whcel 16 may be revolved, thus winding up the cord and drawing it tautthroughout its length, and when drawn taut it will have the appearance of the cord shown in Figure 3 and due to the bend in the cord it cannot be easily moved out of place.

A train proceeding in the opposite direction would leave Phelps at 1 150 for instance and would follow the dotted line shown at 18. The fullline shown at 19 representing the cord if the train traveled at a uniform speed, a condition which does not exist, and merely represents the cord as it is first placed on the board previous to adjusting.

A chart of this character very accurately determines the exact time a train will arrive or depart from any given point on the board also indicating where different trains will meet as for instance the point Trinity where trains live and eight will meet at In laying out a chart of this nature different colored cords may be employed is now common. It often happens that many trains are passed over a road and run on very close time, the result being that in congested areas large numbers of cords are employed upon the boards, at the same time. hen trains of different characters are being run, different colored cords are employed, for instance,

a white cord represents a first class train, a

red cord a second class train, a green cord a freightetc.

It will thus be seen that in employing my board I have eliminated the entire use of pins which was a tedious process, these pins often falling out of the board, with the result that the schedule or time table was incorrectly madeup. Further when in a congested area a large number of the pins employed would interfere with each other and after the board had been used. a short time it would be impossible to make the pins remain in place.

Nith my device the board. is always in perfect condition, it merely being a matter of replacing the cords when they become worn, which is a very simple matter, requiring but a moments time.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claim.

Having thus described my invention, I claim In a device of the character described, a board having a chart formed thereon. said chart designating points upon a railroad and hours of the day, a plurality of spaced strips having teeth formed therein and mounted on said chart bearing board, a cord adapted to pass through the teeth of said strip in such a manner to extend across said chart and to be held parallel with said board, means for tensioning said cord, said tensioning means comprising a shell adapted to be inserted in said board, a hub rotatable in said shell and having said cord connected thereto, and an indicia bearing plate sup ported on said'shell.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

WILLIAM G. SANDERS. 

